Environment

Climate change demands more blood, prevents collection

23 April

As extreme weather events ramp up across the nation, climate change is also having a devastating impact on the very thing needed to help treat victims. An Australian world-first study into the effect of global warming on blood donations and supply...[Read More]

Small cars show a big thirst for petrol in road tests

12 February

Some small cars have a surprisingly big thirst for fuel, with the latest vehicle road tests showing three popular hatchbacks exceeded their advertised petrol consumption by more than 20 per cent. One popular model consumed 35 per cent more petrol...[Read More]

Exhausted: Australia lags Europe, US on car pollution

11 December

Australians drive some of the dirtiest vehicles in the world, according to a transport study, which found cars Down Under produce more pollution than vehicles in Romania, Croatia and Bulgaria, among others. But the National Transport Commission...[Read More]

Prosperity and climate action can go hand-in-hand

10 October

Protecting nature and combating climate change need not come at the expense of Australia’s prosperity, a global summit has been told. Climate change, energy, environment and water department secretary David Fredericks says his department is...[Read More]

Hybrids demoted to make way for electric Uber rides

9 October

Hybrid cars will no longer qualify as “green” vehicles on Uber’s rideshare service in Australia after the tech giant announced changes to prioritise electric cars on its platform. Uber executives announced the changes at a London event on...[Read More]

Plum market as trade deal reached with Vietnam

11 September

Horticulture producers say Vietnam is a plum market for their produce, as the Albanese government confirmed the reopening of the Southeast Asian market. After two years of negotiations between the Australian and Vietnamese governments, market access...[Read More]

‘Why not walk?’ Google Maps to roll out green features

25 April

Google Maps will politely pester Australian travellers to take public transport or walk to their destination in one of several of green changes introduced to the service to celebrate Earth Day. Users who still intend to drive to their destination...[Read More]

Nature repair bill passes after Greens agree to deal

6 December

Land owners will be able to be paid to improve the environment on their properties after the Greens struck a deal with the government on its proposed nature repair market. Under the scheme, which passed the Senate on Tuesday, businesses and...[Read More]

One giant leap for agriculture as farmers look to space

15 February

Nestled deep in the industrial and commercial centre of a major metropolitan city, a vertical farm has sprouted indoors and its backers are reaching for the stars. Researchers based in Melbourne’s Docklands are working with the space agency NASA...[Read More]

Mixed outlook for agriculture in 2023

14 December

It’s a mixed outlook for agriculture in the coming year, with grains and lamb expected to perform well while the number of dairy farmers leaving the industry takes a toll. Rural Bank’s 2023 outlook also listed global economic challenges and...[Read More]

Welcome to our December “Keeping in Touch”

6 December

As 2022 winds down, we look back on a watershed year: in many areas of life, we have perhaps come to turning points: The low inflation environment turned towards the highest inflation since 1990 in Australia (over 7%) and since 1982 in the US...[Read More]

How Green Hydrogen Could End The Fossil Fuel Era [TED Talk Video]

3 November

As climate change accelerates, finding clean alternatives to fossil fuels is more urgent than ever. Social entrepreneur Vaitea Cowan believes green hydrogen is the answer. Watch as she shares her team’s work mass producing electrolyzers —...[Read More]

Expert finds short cut to emissions target

19 October

Australia can meet its emissions reduction target and ease its biodiversity crisis if it decides to end logging in native forests, a leading climate scientist says. Professor Brendan Mackey, who has co-authored reports for the Intergovernmental...[Read More]

Big Battery ‘more useful than big banana’

21 September

Australia can’t become fully powered by renewable energy without storage to support wind and solar, industry warns. South Australia’s Hornsdale Power Reserve was the world’s first Big Battery, since overtaken by a larger plant in...[Read More]

Farmers ‘big winners’ in UK trade deal